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Classification
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| organism | a living thing that has an organized structure, can react to stimuli, reproduce, grow, adapt, and maintain homestasis |
| cell | the basic membrane-bound unit that contains the fundamental molecules of life and of which all living things are composed |
| unicellular | an organism that consists of a single cell |
| multicellular | a complex organism, made up of many cells |
| metabolism | the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life |
| stimulus | anything that produces a response in an organism or in a cell or tissue of an organism |
| response | An action or movement due to the application of a stimulus |
| Development | how a living thing grows and attains maturity |
| Asexual reproduction | reproduction in which a new offspring is produced by a single parent. The new individuals produced are genetically and physically identical to each other, i.e., they are the clones of their parent. |
| Sexual reproduction | Sexual reproduction |
| Spontaneous generation | incorrect and obsolete hypothesis about the possibility of life forms being able to emerge from non-living things. |
| Autotroph | organisms that can produce their own food, using materials from inorganic sources. |
| Heterotroph | an organism that can't make its own food supply, so they have to eat other things, like plants or other animals, to survive |
| Classification | categorizing something or someone into a certain group or system based on certain characteristics |
| Taxonomy | branch of biology that classifies all living things. |
| Binomial nomenclature | formal naming system for living things that all scientists use. It gives every species a two-part scientific name. |
| Genus | a group of species that are closely related through common ancestors. |
| Species | group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one another and create fertile offspring. |
| Prokaryote | type of cell that does not have a true nucleus or membrane-bound organelles |
| Eukaryote | any of the single-celled or multicellular organisms whose cell contains a distinct, membrane- bound nucleus. |
| Nucleus | large organelle in eukaryotic organisms which protects the majority of the DNA within each cell. |